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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

I remembered my grandma used to make this nyonya kerabu with cabbage. Love the dried prawns , onions and chilli and lemon juice dressing for this kerabu. I used baby french beans/ ' Kwai Tau Miu ' instead of cabbage. An appetiser salad that I love. A healthy and delicious salad if you are a salad person. A dash of fish sauce will brings out the dressing to a different level though. I was short of sesame seeds or a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds would add extra flavor to this salad .

Soak the baby french beans in water , wash and cut off ends . Blanched in hot boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Take out and soak in cold water. Drain dry when the beans are cold. Place the blanched beans in a serving bowl.

Marinade together in a small bowl , the pounded dried prawns, chilli slices, onion slices with lemon juice and fish sauce. Mix well and leave the ingredients to mingle and infuse into a great dressing.

Pour the dressing on the french beans. Blend all the ingredients together till the french beans are well coated with the dressing and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds as garnishing.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Had a great dinner with Claire , my former cell group leader, Jennifer , and her husband a month ago at Kok Thai Restaurant, Ipoh Garden. It was supposed to be a get together dinner , for I have not seen Jennifer for ages, but to discovered that it was Jennifer's husband birthday...thus I ordered something a little special for the dinner...plus a birthday mee for the birthday baby :) Claire recommended this dish above ' Hoi Sin Claypot ' and the 'Woo Tau Kow Yoke ' and Jennifer recommended the ' Seafood Assam Curry ' ( birthday boy favorite dish ) and WB and myself picked 'Kangkong In Claypot ' and the restaurant special mee " Sum Si Meen ' . Not only the food was delicious...the fellowship was great too ! Looking forward to more fellowship dinner in the coming months :)

Friday, September 26, 2014

When I am lazy to cook anything fanciful...this is what will be served for dinner :) Simple and easy chicken stew. I used drumsticks instead of whole chicken. Why I say it is easy , coz you just need to pan sear the drumsticks with garlic and olive oil, then add hot water, add dried mixed herbs, carrots and potato, tomato and simmer till it the ingredients are tender soft. Add sea salt and tada , a flavorful and well balanced stew is ready for serving. For me this is comfort food :)

Pan seared the four drumsticks with chopped garlic on a deep fry pan till lightly brown on the outside and 3/4 cooked. Add 1.5 cup of water to the chicken and once the water boils, add in all the cut veggies and dried mixed herbs. Close pan with a lid and simmer under medium low fire for 35 minutes. Once the ingredients are all tender soft , add sea salt to taste. Off heat and serve hot.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Wild Boar and I were looking for a good Bak Kut Teh for our lunch last Sunday. Of course , over here in Ipoh , there are many stalls selling Bak Kut Teh but they are not as good as the Klang Bak Kut Teh :). We decided to try this stall in Central Restaurant . After driving around for a parking ( 20 minutes) before we found one parking lot right in front of the restaurant. We almost wanted to give up eating at this place but thank God, we found one right in front of the shop :)

We ordered a portion for two persons and wow, it was a big portion with lots of ingredients ....all parts of the Piggy is in it...intestine, stomach, ribs, belly and trotters...hahahaha and I asked for extra beancurd skin (foo chok) and lots of spring onions and coriander ( this is what gives the bak kut teh the extra oomph ) The soup was flavorful and I would consider this bak kut teh as one of the best in town. The whole claypot of bak kut teh for two person costs RM18 with two bowls of rice. Extra serving of rice would be RM1.00 per bowl. We ordered two extra rice LOL! the bak kut teh was so good that I forgot about lesser intake of carbo and tucked in two bowls of rice. Yummy ! If you are in town, do drop by this bak kut teh stall in Central Restaurant ...it is one of the best I have thus eaten in Ipoh. You can pick and choose your choices of meat and parts for your bak kut teh. This is my personal opinion that it is one of the best I have eaten. Your opinion may differs from mine though :)

Wild Boar is crazy about car accessories. He got this craze from his friend Joe. Joe is a fanatic when it comes to his car and bike. WB has been pursuing for bulbs for his car for quite some time now and Joe recommended this website to him. And to find a bulb that matches his car , he just have to follow three simple steps for bulb finder such as ' Select Maker', ' Select Model' and ' Select Year' and these 3 charts will need you to fill up three basic information such as name of manufacturer, car model number and the year when it was launched. Wow, easy to find bulbs for WB car and this saves him hours of searching for his bulbs. Man are crazy when it comes to car bulbs and other accessories ! With this bulb finder chart, it has made finding the right one so easy for WB. We have to give Joe a good treat when he is back from his holidays in Vancouver .

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Meeting up with Tarcisian Convent ex-classmates of 1976 at Palong Coffee House @ Kinta Riverfront Hotel was FUN . Not only we piled up our tummy with good food , we teared over jokes and gosh it was a real fun day ! Can you imagine filling the tummy with endless servings of food at the buffet table and later shaking our tummy so much with their ' ham sapp ' jokes. Some of us really never change...still the same ole us...heehee .

This meet up was for one of our dear classmate who was back from New York after having resided and worked in NY for 2 over decades :) Many from KL came back just on a day trip to have this meet up. Thank you to all who turned up for this reunion lunch. Those who could not attend last Saturday , we miss you guys too. Looking forward to many more reunions and thanks to Rosalind for organising such a successful one in Ipoh.

my New Yoker classmate...haha we both love our salt and pepper hair color...

Monday, September 15, 2014

Even though I know the fact that octopus has high cholesterol value, I still use them in salad such as this :p This is a easy to prepare salad . First ,I will pickle the raw shallots slices, bird's eye chillies and chopped garlic and young mint leaves with calamansi juice and fish oil and a pint of salt for half hour. Then pour over the cooked baby octopus and mix them well. Serve this dish as an appetizer or side dish...I am sure you and family will enjoy this appetizer. I DO ! :)

to make dressing , pickle together shallots, garlic, chillies and mint leaves

Dressing Ingredients: ( mix all the ingredients together and pickle for half hour )

4 calamansi - extract juice

a handful young mint leaves - you can chopped them but I prefer not chopped

4 shallots - slice thinly

2 cloves of garlic - chopped

a pinch of salt

1 tbsp of fish oil

juices from the steamed octopus

Preparation:

Clean the octopus and drain off water. Heat up steamer and when water is boiling, put int the octopus and steam for 8 mins. Off heat and take out the cooked octopus and placed into a mixing bowl. Keep aside the juices from the octopus .

Mix the dressing ingredients together and leave it to pickled for at least half hour. Pour dressings over the cooked octopus and mix well. Serve chilled if you like a chilled one and serve as appetizer or as a side dish.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Who doesn't love salad ? I do :) I love munching on these greens alone if possible but then of course I will be hungry 3 hours later LOL! My cute Piggy Cuz went travelling and she bought from Greece some stuff back for me . She gave me sachets of Garden Herb Salad Seasoning from Greece. Cool ! I added some chopped Italian parsley , lemon juice and olive oil to the Garden Herb Salad Seasoning. Gave it a whisk , and they are ready to be poured into the garden salad.... Mmmmm yummy ! Thank you Piggy Cuz ,for your thoughts even when travelling...you never fail to bring home something for me...either food or piggy collectibles ! I feel so loved and blessed having a cousin like you :) Travel more ...Cousin dear :p

I am looking for checkered linen tablecloths but my sister in law is looking for burlap tablecloths :) She like the fresh burlap scent. An old friend of hers gifted one to her - a 60 round for her birthday two years ago and she loves it to bits. Till todate she is still using it and she was telling how good it was and asked me to order one for myself since I am busy searching for some linen tablecloths. It does give the right touch of casual elegance to her home and many of her friends from church compliment on her burlap linens :) Well, I think am sold by her to get some for myself :)

I can't wait to start off my hobby of food photography but I need to get some nice linen tablecloths before I start my photography sessions.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Mmmmmm...looking at this dish makes me salivate away...hahaha stink beans is my all time favorite food. I used stink bean in my fried rice, in my sambal tumis prawns or dried shrimps....and today I want to share with you stink beans in my Sambal Tumis Stingray (Ikan Pari) Of late , I noticed that my taste in cooking has changed. I prefer my sambal tumis to be thicker and drier . I blamed in on menopause syndrome LOL! Anyway not to digress further, lets head on to see the recipe for this dish :)

Sambal Tumis Stingray With Stink Beans - WB Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 pieces of Stingray
200 gms of stink beans ( halved)
2 tbsp of tamarind paste mix with 1/4 cup of water
a tsp of sugar *optional
a pinch of sea salt to taste
1 tbsp of vegetable oil

Heat up 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil till hot, add in the ground ingredients and stir fry till fragrant and the oil surfaced . Add in the stink beans and continue to stir fry till it is cooked. Add in the fish and the tamarind water. Cover wok with lid and let it simmer till the gravy thickens. Add salt and sugar to taste. Dish up and serve hot with rice.

I am looking for some nice linen tablecloths for my food photography sessions. I met an old classmate and she told me she got hers from premiertablelinens.com . She asked me to check it out from this website as they have many designs and they have gingham checkered tablecloths too. I need a lot of props and tablecloths for my new hobby....food photography. As I will be retiring soon, getting my props ready is top on my list !

Josh my son, will be coming back to give me some hands on training on food photography LOL! And I hope I will be able to master the art of taking good shots :) Wish me luck !

I love eggplant cooked in anyway. I saw this recipe in one of the chinese food magazine and I knew I have to try it out and no regrets. It was one simple to whip up and yet tastes so good. This looks like restaurant dish. All you have to do is cut the eggplant , chicken meat, ( you can use the chicken thigh or breast meat ) , wood ear fungus and spring onions ( homegrown ) into strips. Not much work ..right ? Marinade the chicken strips with oyster sauce, chinese cooking wine and a teaspoon of corn flour and a drop of sesame oil. And you are ready to stir fry all the ingredients and serve this delectable dish with your piping hot rice !

1. Heat 1 cup of oil in a deep wok, when oil is heated, put in the eggplant strips and deep fry for a minute. Take out and drain off excess oil on kitchen paper. Leave aside.

2. Put in the marinated chicken strips into the hot oil and deep fry for a minute. Take out and drain off excess oil on kitchen paper. Leave aside.

3. Pour all the oil from the wok, leaving a tsp of oil in the wok. Using the same wok, saute garlic till fragrant, add in the wood ear fungus and the rest of the ingredients. Stir fry till well combined, add in seasoning to taste. Dish up and serve hot.

The city of Madrid is located in the center of Spain. Connected to many Spanish cities by train and to other large cities by a variety of airlines, the city is an ideal destination for foodies.

Walking around the city center you will find a variety of bars and restaurants known for its diversity of foods, ranging from traditional Spanish dishes to many ethnic flavours. Tapas are appetizers which are usually served with each drink ordered, and raciones are larger portions designed to be shared. Some of the most famous tapas bars can be found around the Cava Baja street, which is located a short walk away from the city center, the Puerta del Sol square and the Royal Palace. If you decide to travel to Madrid, then do not forget this guide to the city’s most delicious dishes.

Patatas Bravas.

Arguably the most popular tapa city, this dish consists of wedges of potatoes served with a sauce. The traditional sauce is the spicy brava sauce, and the egg-based alioli sauce is another typical option.

Huevos Rotos.

Another traditional dish is huevos rotos, literally broken eggs. It consists of fried eggs served on top of sliced potatoes, and usually accompanied by slices of jamón ham. There are several varieties of huevos rotos, and most places offer them with a variety of cured meat.

Cocido Madrileño.

This beef and vegetable stew is the most authentic dish in the region. It is served in the oldest restaurants in the city, and is ideal for a hearty lunch during the colder seasons. There are many varieties of cocido, the most typical one being a meat and vegetable stew with chickpeas.

Callos a la Madrileña.

This is another stew that can be found in many restaurants around the city center and in the more residential areas. The main ingredients are beef tripe, chorizo, garlic, onions, pepper, snout and hoof, all cooked in broth.

Tortilla de Patata.

The epitome of the Spanish cuisine, this potato omelet can be found in any bar, restaurant and household. It is one of those dishes that everyone will claim their grandmother does best. Made from potatoes, eggs and a pinch of salt, it can be accompanied by a piece of bread and a beer, making it the ideal tapa.

Was skyping with my Josh last night and he told me about his trip to Vietnam for a trade show. He said he loves the beef noodles and he wallop a lot of McPork over there...heehee I guess he loves McD since he was able to chew on solid food. Yea, I was the culprit to introduce to him McD . Used to hold his younger years birthdays at McDonalds for him and today he still keep in touch with his primary schoolmates. Many of them are also working in Singapore and they used to meet up very often.

credit pic - forums.vr-zone.com

He told me he is invited to one of his primary schoolmate's birthday next month and he is thinking of getting a Unity Tuner which this birthday boy is looking for. He tried to get it from Singapore but could not find the one his friend wanted. I asked him to try here for it. And Josh is so thankful that his mama got give him leads to where he can order the tuner for his friend. Now praying that he can find the one his friend is looking for and that it will arrives in time for the birthday boy :)

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

I love this veggie...I am not sure of its name but look and taste like 'choy tam ' Look like brussel sprouts too but it is not :p anyway love the texture and the taste. Stir fry them with fried garlic and sizzled light soy sauce...whoa , I can just eat this stand alone without rice or other dishes .

today is cloudy....I hope the green of this veggie can cheer you up just the same.....

Hey, this is interesting news for my Wild Boar and Josh. Do you guys know that there is this company who will buy your watch outright. No middleman involved ! You can trade up or sell your watch for cash. And they pay you top dollars for fine watches. I know of a few friends who lives in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills are pleased with their services. It seems their show room is not the only place that they sell/buy luxury watches and their knowledgeable staff are updated on the current market values of high end and collectibles timepieces. Their staff are send to auctions, trade shows and private exhibitions which allow them to stay updated. And the good news is that their business is not limited to the Beverley Hills are and greater Los Angeles area, they have a strong network of collectors all over the world for buying and selling watches. Cool ! I am sure WB and Josh will be interested to find out their other collectors near our city :)

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

I heart anything to do with gochujang paste.....I fry rice with it especially if I have seafood stored up in the freezer. I have been growing my own spring onions and you will see a lot of it in my cooking. This simple and delicious fried rice will have you drooling for more and I have decided to add this to my dinner menu. The seafood used in this fried rice are baby octopus ( I will stock them up whenever I see them in Jusco ) , garoupa fillets and sea prawns. Love the gochujang paste in the rice. It helps flavored the rice and seafood. The whole combination is so awesome that I had two bowls of this deliciousness.....nom nom nom

this is so delicious that I know that I am going to make this again

the aroma was so fantastic that as I was frying it, I salivated :p

Seafood Fried Rice With Gochujang Paste - from WB's Kitchen

Ingredients:

cooked rice enough for two persons
2 eggs

garoupa fillet- sliced into 1/8 inch thick slices

some sea prawns- shelled and deveined

a few baby octopus - cut into halves

spring onions - cut into 1" length

3 cloves of garlic- chopped

1/2 tsp of chilli flakes

1.5 tbsp of gochujang paste

* sea salt to taste - optional

1 tsp of sesame oil

1/2 tbsp of olive oil

Method:

Heat up wok with sesame oil and vegetable oil , add in garlic and saute till golden and fragrant, add in the gochugang paste and all the seafood and stir fry till cooked. Add in the cooked rice and stir fry till the rice grains are popping up and down ( a bit of exaggeration here ) . Push the rice aside , add an egg and when the egg is half cooked, push the rice down to cover the egg . After a min, stir the rice together till the egg and rice are evenly combined. Add in the spring onions and stir fry till the spring onions are well combined. * Add in sea salt for taste.